Natural Consequences by Elliott Kay Page B

his longship. Skorri was not a leader of men—he was too young and wild—but his spirit helped keep the band moving. His ferocity staved off disaster more than once.
    He nearly caught up in time. He saw fishing boats rowing out to sea as his horse burst from the tree line at the edge of the village. Most were halfway across the bay already. One last boat lay close to shore. Skorri recognized Unferth’s big red beard in the boat and Bjorn’s long blond hair.
    Skorri rode for his life. Several other horsemen followed close behind, but Skorri had enough of a lead. He could make it.
    “Row!” Unferth commanded. His loud voice carried across the water to the shore. “Damn it, row!”
    “Unferth!” cried Skorri. “Wait!”
    “Row!”
    Skorri’s horse crashed into the cold water, and he with it. He let the mount go in favor of swimming under his own power, a talent he had nurtured as a child when the water was warm enough.
    Skorri had a wife at home. He couldn’t winter here with the Danes, not with all of them after every raider’s head. He couldn’t leave Halla alone to wonder.
    He kept swimming. The Danes did not pursue. They had no bows with which to threaten those in the water. Skorri’s boots and his clothes dragged him down, but he kept swimming. He only needed a minute’s pause to catch up.
    Unferth and his men kept rowing.
     
     
    His arms flailed about in the darkness, mostly upward, reaching for something to hold onto. Panicked huffs and grunts came from his throat. His eyes opened wide. The water clung to him like bedsheets, tangling his arms and his legs.
    He felt nothing but desperation and fear.
    Strong , feminine arms came around his naked chest. “ Ssshhh, love, you are safe ,” Lorelei told him urgently, whispering close to his ear. “ Relax ,” she commanded, unhurt by the way his elbows and head bumped into her before his thrashing lessened.
    “You are Alex Carlisle,” Lorelei told him, “You are home, in bed, with me.” She kissed the back of his neck, then his shoulder, caressing him to calm him down. “Whatever life you dreamt of is over now, and can hurt you no more.”
    His eyes darted around. A spacious bedroom replaced the bay. The bed seemed vast in the darkness. It was larger than king sized, bought with a humorous, indulgent smile that promised thorough use. He heard the rain fall against the bedroom windows. His skin was soaked with sweat, but not water.
    An angel appeared through the open bedroom door, seeming to illuminate the room merely with her presence. She rounded the bed, sat down beside him opposite Lorelei, and gently kissed him.
    Calming under Lorelei’s influence already, Alex soon felt his body relax. Fear and desperation melted away with Rachel’s touch. She smiled at him, her eyes as full of comfort as Lorelei’s arms. “21 st Century, lover,” she said. “Your life’s awesome. Drop the baggage. We’re here. Go to sleep.”
    His eyelids felt heavy. Lorelei eased him back down again. “ Sleep ,” she urged. His breathing quickly grew steady once more.
    “Worse tonight, huh?” Rachel asked.
    “Yes. He was accosted today. I’ll explain later,” Lorelei added as Rachel’s eyebrow rose, “but the stress seems to have worsened this. His memories confused him even during the day. Were all of his lives so violent?”
    Rachel hesitated, biting back her first answer before she spoke. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, pretty much. They always were at the end, anyway.”
    “I understand little of such things, but I know that isn’t natural.”
    The angel sighed. “No, it’s not. I can’t get into it. I’m sorry.” She gestured to their younger partner. “This is why mortals aren’t supposed to know too much.”
    “I only listen to him,” said Lorelei. “I offer counsel only with great care. But he cannot be left to suffer like t his.” Rachel looked to Lorelei without speaking. The succubus nodded in understanding. “So be it. I understand. My